No, today is not Friday and I’m so sorry if seeing this email in your inbox has ruined your Thursday. It is, however, leap day and that’s pretty cool! Alas, while it’s not the end of the week quite yet, it is the end of February and with that comes my latest wrap-up of the best releases of the month. If you’ve been reading my weekly emails, you probably won’t be surprised by the inclusions this month, but, as always, I’m sure there’s something great that I missed. Let me know what you’ve had on repeat in the comments!
Album of the Month:
Erika de Casier | Still
Inspired by the effortlessly cool jams of mid ‘90s and early 2000s R&B, Erika de Casier brings her esteemed polish and high-end production to this sleek style and sound in stunning clarity. After besting her on work as the producer of last year’s epic jam “Super Shy” by NewJeans, de Casier returns with an icy coolness and charm. Channeling the hype around the close-mic’d sound of some of pop’s current biggest names, Erika hones in on ASMR-style vocal work that wrap around her tantalizing beats of glittering, plucked strings, and slowed rhythms. “Lucky,” an early frontrunner as one of the best songs of the year, is the standout track here and one that will surely be the one to reverberate in your head with its twinkling piano-line and gives the clearest impression of millennial tendencies to upgrade the pop music of their own past.
EP of the Month:
Burial | “Dreamfearer” / “Boy Sent From Above”
It’s been over a decade since Burial last released a proper album and in the years since the groundbreaking Untrue, the electronic mastermind and dubstep visionary has swiveled between sparse, atmospheric ambient compositions and his usual dark, head spinning beats. On his EP-length release from this month, Burial returns to his club days and brings with him rave-ready tunes that go harder than we’ve heard from him in quite some time. These are raging tunes that drift through beat switches and breakdowns that will keep you on your toes and implore you to find your way to the darkest clubs in the underground.
Live Album of the Month:
Can | Live in Paris 1973
In the early 70s, Germany’s Can began to redefine what psychedelic rock music could sound like with their sprawling jams, elongated guitar freak-outs, motorik rhythms, and scattered vocals. Critics would term the sound “krautrock” and Can would be leaders in the space for the era to follow. In 1973, the band was at the height of their powers, creating some of the most experimental music of the times and with Damo Suzuki at the helm, they were a true force. Another edition on their reissued live series, this is the earliest entry into the collection and the first to feature the late Suzuki. It’s an impressive look at a band that was truly in their own lane, taking inspiration from across the musical canon and making something uniquely their own.
Don’t Skip:
Ducks Ltd | Harm’s Way
Hurray for the Riff Raff | The Past is Sill Alive
Itasca | Imitation of War
Real Estate | Daniel
Vijay Iyer | Compassion
Concerts (in review):
André 3000 at St Ann and the Holy Trinity Church // 2.05.24
Godspeed You! Black Emperor at Knockdown Center // 2.24.24
The Kills at Webster Hall // 2.26.24